[-empyre-] fresh perspectives from Aotearoa

["Melinda Rackham" <melinda@subtle.net>]

Welcome all to 2005 on -empyre-

We are now officially 3 years old !  The list has been growing steadily in
subscribers, diversity, and thematics over that time.
Thank you all for contributing to a dynamic ongoing dialogue.

As an appropriate start to the new year, January brings us fresh southern
hemisphere perspectives from Aotearoa \ New Zealand.

This southern pacific nation  is currently experiencing a renaissance in
media arts and culture. Much is bubbling to the surface from deep pools of
creativity such as the Aotearoa Digital Arts list; recent and planned
festivals include Version, SCANZ and re:mote; and exhibition venues include
Artspace, the Physics Room, the Moving Image Centre and [NON] gallery.

Our guests this month cover a diverse range of practices and professions -
net, sound and media artists, theorists, educators, curators and writers.
All are working in, or have recently returned to their home islands. I will
introduce our guests in more detail in following emails, and they will come
and go as their schedules permit over the month.

As well as The Paul Annears, Susan Ballard, Stella Brennan, Ian Clothier,
Adam Hyde, Trudy Lane, and Helen Varley Jamieson, there may be some surprise
guests as people return from their holidays. Please enjoy this very special
beginning to another year at -empyre-

Melinda

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The Paul Annears [http://www.xxos.net ] find there are many advantages to
being two people. For many years we have successfully amplified our separate
brilliances and recently, through the power of the web, have joined with
other 'Paul Annears' in a unique franchising arrangement to produce The
Concise Model of the Universe.

Paul Annear 404 [ http://www.xxos.net ] has always been anthropographic.
Because of this, Paul finds it difficult to avoid strong emotions and
unpleasant situations. An obsession with people and her ability to identify
with a variety of these creatures has brought her here.

Susan Ballard [ http://www.physicsroom.org.nz/space/2002/sensible ] is an
artist, writer and musician whose interests cover the broad historical field
of new media art with a particular emphasis on contemporary digital and
time-based installation from Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Her current PhD research
explores relationships between noise and materiality in digital installation
art.

Stella Brennan [ http://www.stella.net.nz ] is an Auckland-based artist,
writer and curator. With Sean Cubitt she founded the Aotearoa Digital Arts
discussion list in 2003, and has hosted two subsequent ADA meetings. Her
artwork is based in video and installation. Stella teaches at the Auckland
University of Technology.

Ian M Clothier [ http://www.art-themagazine.com/ian ] is a Pacific based
artist writer. In 2004 he was selected for ISEA (Estonia), Digitalis:
Ethno-techno (Canada) and ReJoyce Festival (Ireland). Editor of
art-themagazine.com, he has contributed to rhizome.org, and was an invited
speaker to the Ninth International Conference on Thinking.

Adam Hyde [http://www.radioqualia.net ] exhibits frequently internationally
and recently won a UNESCO Digital Art Award. He is the Digital Artist in
Residence at Waikato University, and is currently organising the  're:mote'
festival with Honor Harger and NZ artist duo 'Ethermap', formed by Adam
Willets and Zita Joyce.

Trudy Lane [http://artefact.mi2.hr ] works in online design and publication
for the  art/museum industries and as an artist collaboratively creating
projects which cross-breed participatory art & educational resource. Trudy
has recently returned to New Zealand after 12 years living abroad.

Helen Varley Jamieson [ http://www.creative-catalyst.com ] is a  writer and
theatre artist who has been exploring the concept of  cyberformance - remote
performers creating live performance via the internet - during the last 5
years. She does a lot travelling with this work, but is currently enjoying
some time back home in Aotearoa.  Helen writes for Rhizome, Furtherfield and
other publications.